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Best method to connect subwoofer to amp

I just finished a great post about my speakers and amp clipping sensitivity, impedance etc. highly educational, as I am a rookie in this hobby just starting out. One recommendation coming out of that discussion was to contact my manufacturers. I have a Jamo c 80 sub (1800 watts and with an adjustable crossover from 0 to 200hz) for two-channel stereo. the c80 has binding posts for speaker cable connections for spades and banana plugs. The c80 also has" Line in left/LFE and right.. My integrated amp is a Technic SU-G700 and its manual says to connect the sub to its pre-out left and right connections.
Listening to Paul McGowan ( PSAudio poobah) he says the best way is to run speaker cables from my amp to the speaker terminals on the JAMO which is my current practice. He says this ensures the same signal going to my main speakers (Canton 9k stand-mounted) and the sub are the same helping them disappear. As noted I am currently using that method and indeed my subs vanished.
However when speaking to JAMO the rep said the best way is to connect the amp and sub is through the Preout of the amp to the Line input Left /LFE and right of the sub, my Technic manual also says this.
There is no high pass filter involved in my system the integrated amp sends the full signal through the pre-out not confirmed by Technic but from what I’ve read. I mention this as my amp is only 70 watts and I would have loved to separate the bass to be driven exclusively by the sub so my main speakers could be relieved of that duty and as I understand it two benefits would occur 1 my stand-mounted Cantons would no longer have to play the bass and 2 more power would be available for the cantons.
It should be noted the canton9 k have two sets of speaker terminals on set for medium and high frequencies and another set for bass. I will not be buying a separate highpass filter at this time.

Given the above which is the best method (for musical benefits) to connect the sub or does it even matter which of the two options I use given my system?
Is one method safer to use than the other?
Am I missing anything I should be aware of?
Thank you for your help
Scott


scott22

Showing 1 response by pragmasi

pragmasi
212 posts
 
A general rule with hifi is that you don't want to amplify then attenuate or attenuate then amplify. In an ideal world you amplify once (to the level you want to listen to) with no attenuation (volume control). This is not practical but an ideal situation.
If you use the speaker cable inputs on the sub your power amp amplifies the signal enough to run speakers, then your sub will need to attenuate this back down to line level before doing its own amplification. If you use the line inputs then it only gets amplified once i.e. better, with less distortion and noise.
The only problem may be if the coax picks up noise, if it does it will be obvious.
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